Optical waveguides of the overlap type are well known in the prior art and are described more particularly in Applied Optics, Nov. 1976, Volume 15, No. 11, pp. 2785-2791. Such a connector as known in the prior art relies upon the connector material being of a single unit, and homogenous elastomer for small deformation to alow yieldable conformation of the connector material surrounding the waveguides. Should slight variations in the waveguide diameters occur due to allowable manufacturable tolerances the complaint deformation or yielding of the connector material will allow the axes of the waveguides of slightly different outside diameters to be coincident. However, the elastomeric properties of a material suitable for waveguide alignment is also unsuitable for maintaining precise connector dimensions. In the connector according to the present invention a combination of both elastomeric compliant material and rigid material suitable for maintaining precise dimensions is utilized.
Because precise dimensions are unattainable in an overlap connector of the prior art, special precaustions are required to prevent separation of the waveguide end faces. In a typical prior art overlap connector the waveguides to be joined are trimmed to excessive lengths. Then the waveguides are butted directly together and the excessive lengths of the waveguide are pushed back from the end faces of the abutting waveguides to be accumulated or otherwise taken up within the body of the connector. It has been found that abutting end faces produce undesirable abrasion and consequent attenuation in the light transferred between the waveguides. The connector according to the present invention utilizes a datum plane in each of the two intermating connector sections which allows precise positioning of the waveguides without permitting abutting and abrasion thereof.